Raz's Second Chance
by KaylaDestroyer
Summary: Yay! Another Raz one-shot! This one is an actual story, I hope you all like it! A little story about Raz that takes place after the fourth movie. And no, my Raz insaneness has not ended yet...


**Hey guys! So yeah, I've gotten to Raz finally! This story will partially focus on a few little known secrets between Raz and Shira. An actual story that takes place after the fourth movie. ;)**

* * *

**Raz's Second Chance**

Raz slowly placed her palms in the sand and locked her elbows, pushing herself up a little bit. Sand clung to her face, and the dislodged it easily with a shake of her head. "Oh," she moaned, looking around at the beach in despair. Where was she? Where was the ship? Groaning she turned herself over so that she sat in the sand, facing the ocean. There wasn't a berg in sight, and she began to feel afraid, like a very small, lost joey. She murmured fearfully, looking up and down the beach for any sign of her shipmates.

But there were no other bodies in the sand; her only company was the sound of the steadily lapping waves. It wasn't that Raz was _afraid_ of the land. She was simply afraid of being _alone_ on the land. She clumsily rose to her feet, and turned to look behind herself, where a treeline started further inland. Taking one last look over her shoulder, she sighed sadly and hopped into the trees, hoping that someone friendly that didn't recognize her could clue her in as to where she was. She hopped for a good few minutes, annoyed by how still the ground was beneath her. Sometimes it was difficult to navigate through all of the trees, and Raz was intimidated by the dark forest.

At least, to her it was dark; she was used to full sunlight on the open waters. The trees everywhere blocked out more light than she was used to, and she was glad to finally exit the forest. Even after that she hopped for a few hours more, before hearing a familiar, humming voice. A voice that had put her to sleep while the owner licked her clean as a child. Raz's eyes widened with hope; could it be the white and black saber female who had replaced her deceased mum on the pirate ship? She hopped faster, soon discovering that it indeed _was_ Shira, laying on a flat stone with her back turned to the pink kangaroo and humming that familiar tune to herself. Raz smiled in elation, bouncing with joy.

She would have let out a joyous cry and hopped over as fast as she could, if _he_ hadn't appeared. Raz stopped in her tracts as an orange male saber approached Shira, and the two shared a nuzzle. Her eyes narrowed; this was that _Diego_ fellow that had stolen Shira's loyalty. Raz growled lowly, reaching inside her pouch and drawing out the sword that had once belonged to Captain Gutt. She would make him _pay_ for taking away her surrogate mother. However, he left almost as soon as he had come, and the chance was lost. Raz sniffed indignantly and deposited the sword back into her pouch.

Shira began to hum once more, and the kangaroo smiled, relishing the warm memories that washed over her. She excitedly hopped over, calling out to the saber. "Shira! Shira!" The female turned and saw the kangaroo, managing to sit up in time for a bone crushing hug that lasted only a moment. Raz smiled down at the woman who had raised her to be one of the world's toughest pirates.

"Raz!" she exclaimed happily. "What, on earth are you _doing_ here?" she practically squealed, until fear clouded her eyes. "Gutt's not here, _right_?" she asked. Raz hung her head sadly.

"No. We lost him to a siren." Shira gasped. "All we found was his bones floating in the water." Shira covered her mouth with one paw.

"I'm...I'm so sorry." she whispered. Raz sighed and hung her head, her ears drooping lower than normal.

"Everything's been harder without you and him around." she said. Shira placed a paw on the kangaroo's arm. Raz couldn't help but smile at her, remembering the first day she met the saber.

* * *

Raz huddled in the bush, terrified. Her parents had just been captured by humans, and she doubted they would ever come back. She suddenly heard the soft padding of a creature with paws coming towards her, and shivered, letting out a whimper. This was the first time she had ever been out of her mother's pouch, but she didn't feel ready. It was her mother in fact who had carefully lifted her out and concealed her in the bush, telling her not to make a sound. She whimpered even louder as the padding paws came closer, until a creature she had seen only once before stood towering over her. The saber's fur was white with black stripes, and she had very blue eyes, along with two interesting blue earrings on one ear.

"Hey there little one." she said softly, staring down at Raz with a kind smile. Raz gulped. "Where's your mama?" Tears sprang into the little kangaroo's eyes.

"The humans took her!" she wailed, finally bursting into tears and turning away from the saber, placing her face in her hands. The saber female gently reached down with her paws and lifted Raz up, cradling the pink kangaroo against her chest.

"Oh, I'm sorry." she said quietly. "What's your name?"

"R-Raz."

"Raz. That's a nice name. I'm Shira. Why don't you come back with me? I can give you somewhere to stay." Raz sniffed.

"Really?"

"Sure! I won't hurt you, I promise." So Raz allowed Shira to carry her in the saber's mouth back to where she had come from. Raz was awed when they finally reached a huge iceberg that looked like a boat.

"Whoa, you live on an ice ship?" the kangaroo asked.

"Mm-hm." Shira walked up to a large animal that looked as though it was meant to climb and live in trees. Maybe it was a koala? Shira stopped and sat down behind the creature, setting Raz on the ground in front of her and wrapping a paw around the joey. "Gutt?" she asked. The animal turned, showing its face, and Raz abandoned the idea of it being a koala. She had no idea _what_ Gutt was. "I found this little joey all alone. I think she could use a home." Gutt scrutinized Raz carefully, before turning back to the saber.

"Shira," he began in a dramatic tone, giving her a pitying look. "I _understand_ that, as a female you have a soft spot for all the young one's with no mother. But, even _you_ don't have the, _resources_ to take care of such a small child." Shira looked down at Raz sadly. Not wanting to leave her new friend so soon, Raz desperately tried to seem like no trouble at all.

"I...I wouldn't need much, sir." she squeaked. "Just a little grass and, mushrooms. I, I promise I'll stay close by. Please, I'm afraid." she begged. Gutt seemed to look at her in surprise for a moment, eyeing her.

"You seem a little small to be out of your mother's pouch." he said. Raz hunkered down.

"I'm not supposed to be. But, my mama took me out and hid me in a bush from some humans." Gutt blinked at her, before reaching out a hairy hand. Raz froze in terror at the long claws protruding from his fingers. He gently tilted her face up to his, and then proceeded to poke and prod her. After a while, he smiled and nodded.

"You'll make a fine addition to the crew. I see potential in you. Shira will care for you." Raz gave a small smile and looked up at the white saber who held her close. Shire smiled fondly at her and gave the small kangaroo's head a lick. " Shira! Take her aboard and acquaint her with her new home."

"Aye aye, captain!" With that Raz was carried by Shira onto the giant iceberg, where she was introduced to the rest of the crew and learned the ways of being a pirate. That night, Raz slept curled between Shira's paws on the far side of the ship, away from the rest of the crew. The adult saber would hum to her for a few minutes, before licking and nuzzling her gently all over. This process went on for a few hours, keeping Raz in a half awake state, due to not being used to the saber style of caring for young. But she got used to it quickly and nodded off, relishing her new mother's warmth and affection.

* * *

Raz couldn't help smiling at her surrogate mother, despite how upset she was that Shira had abandoned them. She suddenly blinked and lost her smile, noticing something she hadn't before. She pointed with a paw at Shira's stomach; it was swollen quite a bit, and reached just past the edge of her chest. "Sheila...you're not..." Shira looked down at herself, before smiling fondly and rubbing her bulge. Raz instantly felt jealousy flame within her; the same that an older sibling felt when they were pushed aside by a baby's arrival. _That_ smile had always been reserved for _her_, and she wasn't quite sure that she liked having to share it.

She pouted, and Shira caught the expression on her face. She laughed, taking the kangaroo's paws in her own. Raz sat down in front of the saber, her expression now sad. "They're _his_ aren't they?" she asked, head drooping.

"Yes, they are." Raz looked up at Shira with a melancholy expression. She pursed her lips for a moment, then spoke a word that she hadn't since she was a teenager.

"Mum...why did you leave us? You could have helped Gutt, or taken the position of Captain. You were the best pirate besides him! That's why he favored you! Why...why did you leave us? Why did you leave _me_?" she asked, tears beginning to pour down her cheeks. Shira stopped smiling, looking at her with an expression Raz had never before seen on the saber's face.

Shira cupped a paw around the kangaroo's cheek. "Raz, everyone has a different path in life. I realized that I wasn't happy in the piracy gig anymore, but I knew I loved Diego. I base some things I do on how I feel. That's why I took you in. I was a pirate who was known for looting and stealing and killing, but I saw you. And I cared about you, for a reason I'll never know."

"I thought the rest of you could fare just fine without me. I didn't know what happened to Gutt, but I always thought _you_ could lead them." Raz's eyes welled up with tears, and she began sobbing loudly, covering her face with her paws.

"Oh Mum, that's the problem!" she cried out.

"What?"

"After we lost Gutt, everyone unanimously voted _me_ Captain. I...I did mah best to take care of `em, but we got caught in one of those really bad storms, where the water and the clouds connect in a spout. The ship was pulled in, and I fell off after it collided with some other piece of debris." Raz was full blown crying now, reliving the horror and fear she felt as she plunged from the company of her family into the roiling, frigid waters. "Mum I was so scared! I thought fer' sure I'd drown until I woke up on the beach." She felt Shira embrace her, gently stroking her long ears.

"I'm such a failure!"

"Shhhh, it's alright Raz. You're safe now. And you're no failure. I'm here." Raz sniffled, feeling like a small child again even though she was three times Shira's size. She was comforted by her mother's confidence in her.

"What do I do now? Where will I go?"

"I might be able to convince Diego and Manny to let you stay with us." Raz was quiet for a while.

"Thanks Mum."

"No problem, Shiela." Raz smiled; Shira hadn't used her nickname in years. She looked into the saber's eyes.

"Do you think you'll need help with the cubs?" she asked somewhat hesitantly. Shira smiled.

"Raz," she said, cupping her paw under the kangaroo's chin. "You'll always be my firstborn joey." Raz smiled. "I'm sure your little brothers and sisters will love you." The two shared a hug, which was interrupted by a groan from Shira. Raz pulled back and stared at her worriedly. " I'm fine, just a kick." she smiled and set Raz's paw on her stomach.

Raz smiled excitedly at the feeling of tiny paws thumping on the inside of their current home. "Come on, let's go find Diego." The two females stood and began to walk off, Shira following her mate's scent.

* * *

Raz sighed as she leaned back against the tree trunk, overjoyed. Young, high pitched voices suddenly reached her ears and she opened her eyes to see her much younger cub siblings running up to her at full speed. Life had changed much in the past few months, and although, as a pirate, Raz probably wouldn't have liked it at all...she found herself happy, and content. She still practiced handling her weaponry, but she didn't carry it around as much anymore. Of course, that was only due to a safety issue. She had two sisters; Arilla and Rebel. Arilla had her mother's fur but her father's eyes, and Rebel was all black with Shira's eyes. She also had two brothers; Dennis and Akuna. Dennis had Diego's fur but his mother's eyes, while Akuna was orange all over with his father's eyes.

She smiled and opened her arms, inviting her siblings with a bright smile. "Raz!"

"Big sissy!"

"Raz, Raz!"

"Shiela!" The kangaroo chuckled and let out an 'oof!' as all four cubs pounced onto her stomach and hugged her. Dennis was the first to stand up and speak. He was the oldest, and she had heard some vague talk between Diego and Shira about him becoming 'pack leader' one day, but she kept it to herself.

"Whatchya' doin'?" he asked, his tiny tail wagging excitedly. Raz smiled and gently patted the five month old's head.

"Well, I was waitin' fer' mum to come around, cause I got a surprise for her." All four cubs perked at the word 'surprise'.

"A surprise?" Rebel asked. She was second oldest by two minutes.

"What kind'a surprise?" inquired Arilla. She was the youngest. Akuna was between his saber sisters.

"Is it food?" he asked, earning a round of laughter from the other four.

"No," Raz replied. "it's in here." she said cryptically, placing a paw on her stomach. The cubs cocked their heads, looked at each other, then dove in to their eldest sister's pouch, all squirming around and trying to find the surprise Raz had spoken of. Raz laughed uncontrollably at their antics, as well as the ticklish sensation she felt from all their bustling around. After a minute, all four cub heads popped out and stared up at Raz in confusion.

"Where is it?" Akuna asked in confusion. Raz smiled, memories of times gone by of how many times she had carried the small cubs in her pouch for Shira, and they still loved to play around in there.

"It's in mah' tummy." she chuckled. All four cubs tilted their heads in confusion.

"Huh?" they let out unanimously. Raz laughed.

"Go get mum and I'll tell ya' about it." she said. The four cubs scrambled out of her pouch and ran off to find Shira. Raz chuckled once more and leaned back against the tree.

"Raz!" a masculine voice called out, causing the female kangaroo's heartbeat to quicken.

"I'm here, Aaron!" she called back. The dark blue and white male soon hopped into her vision, and she smiled. Aaron had been discovered on the other side of the island by Shira. Apparently, the island used to be part of Australia, and Aaron had been out on a journey across the continent when it broke off. At first Raz had been annoyed that her surrogate mother had tried to pair them up, but once she really got to know who Aaron was, it was a struggle not to fall for him. Now she had a very special surprise for him, and the rest of the herd. Manny had of course hated the idea of her at first, but Diego seemed compassionate for her, oddly enough.

He convinced Manny to let her stay, but Raz didn't have a clue how until Shira had explained what had gone down between the two. Diego had argued that Shira might want some girl company besides Ellie and Peaches, plus she knew Raz from the pirate ship and would probably like to see her again. As well as the fact that she probably needed a change from living on the pirate ship, just like Shira had. Manny finally conceded, as long as Raz would 'behave herself', as he put it. She was thankful it was only after this conversation that Shira had confided in Diego the one secret the two females shared; that Raz was pretty much adopted by Shira. Diego was the only other one who knew, not even Aaron did, although Raz planned to tell him soon. She smiled as Aaron sat next to her and wrapped an arm around her shoulders, snuggling into his side. "How's my weapons princess?"

Raz giggled. He had given her the nickname due to her tendency to whip out Gutt's old bone sword whenever trouble came around, although she hadn't carried weapons since she had started carrying the cubs around. And it would be longer still until she could carry her beloved weapons around again. Aaron took one of her paws in his and held them in his lap, smiling at her and bringing his other paw up to stroke her ears. Raz had fallen not just for his looks and affection, but the protective strength he radiated, as his name suggested. As a pirate, she really didn't have anyone to fall back on except for Shira, who usually had her own job to do issued by Gutt. Raz enjoyed having Aaron around; he made her feel secure.

"Oh, I'm alright." she replied. "I've got a surprise for ya'." Aaron raised an eyebrow.

"And what would that be?" Raz grinned and whispered something in the male's ear, causing his eyes to widen. He turned to look at her incredulously.

"You...you mean it?" he asked with a hopeful smile. Raz smirked.

"No, I'm just pulling your ears!" she said sarcastically, tugging her mate's ears lightly. Aaron chuckled and tugged one of hers in retaliation. Raz laughed and it soon became a battle, until the four cubs returned with Shira. Arilla and Rebel climbed inside Raz's pouch and situated themselves comfortably with their heads poking out, while Akuna and Dennis jumped onto Aaron. Dennis pulled up and placed his front paws on the male kangaroo's chest, while Akuna laid on his side on the adult's stomach. Shira padded up and sat in front of them, her stomach once again slim.

"I was told something of a surprise?" she asked. Raz smirked.

"You're gonna' be a grandmum."

* * *

Raz laid on her side in the back of her and Aaron's cave, groaning loudly. She wished that Shira, or even Ellie, who had gotten along with her well, would come to her aid. The pain was mild, but she was still deathly afraid. Too afraid to call out for someone. Aaron had been especially protective of her for the past month and a half, which she found was a sweet alternative to the harsh playing they had engaged in beforehand. Raz was a tougher female than most, and often participated in boxing matches with her mate, winning half the time. During her pregnancy though, it seemed as though Aaron had been afraid to touch her.

Raz tried to calm herself; it had only been a month and a half worth of growing."_The thing's going to be the size of a freakin' lima bean! It won't hurt that bad!_" she thought fiercely, reaching one paw into her pouch and gently caressing the almost nonexistent bump on her stomach. Another contraction hit her, and she groaned. The pain was just enough to cause such a sound from her, but she was still panting from the strain. "_Come on, it's been fifteen minutes, it can't last that much longer._" She suddenly was hit by another harsh contraction, and groaned again.

Then she felt the tugging sensation on her fur and smiled, sighing with relief. The tugging sensation continued up through the fur on her pouch for about two minutes before stopping. Raz wasn't worried at first; the baby was obviously tired and needed a minute to recuperate. But she began to worry as five, then six minutes passed, and still the baby didn't move. She had turned over onto her back to ensure it wouldn't fall off, but the lack of climbing frightened her. Using one paw, she turned the newborn over and touched its chest. There was a tiny heartbeat, but it felt a little weaker than she thought it needed to be.

Terrified, she tenderly wrapped her paw around the infant and sat up, opening her pouch. She took a moment to observe the hairless, red, blob-looking body in her paw, and smiled seeing its front legs begin moving once more. Wanting to save her joey's energy, she gently set it down in the very bottom of her pouch and watched it with tentative eyes as it selected a teat and curled up comfortably. Satisfied that the joey was safe and healthy, she let her pouch close, engulfing the newborn in the complete darkness it was used to, and lovingly cupped one paw around the tiny bump that was now visible on the pouch. She leaned back against the cave wall as the joey nursed, thankful it wasn't dead. It would be a while longer until she knew if it was a son or daughter, but Raz didn't mind. She stroked the bump gently, elation soaring through her.

She realized that, although she had led a full life on Gutt's ship and had her fun as a pirate, Shira and her herd had given her a second chance. Shira had in fact done it twice. For a better life; _this_ was what was meant for her. Gutt was merely a stepping stone in her life journey, and he had allowed her the chance to live to see this day, a day very few kangaroos were granted. Now she had a whole new adventure awaiting her. One that Aaron, Shira, and her cub siblings would play big roles in. But the thing that excited her most was getting to know her precious little joey.

* * *

**So yeah, I did a second one on Raz! I actually wrote this before I did the deleted scene. It's not a terribly long read, I know. She's my fav pirate, as I'm sure at least some people know, I've said it enough to annoy the living daylights out of ya'll. I mean come on, a kangaroo that stores weapons in her pouch? How AWESOME is that?! Sorry I didn't have the joey named, I just felt it would be a believable element for the story. **

**But I did my research on kangaroos, so it _is true_ that newborns are the size of lima beans, have no fur, and have to use their forelimbs to climb through their mother's fur and into the pouch, since their hind legs are mere stumps. They're pretty much born in the embryonic stage and do the rest of their growing in their mother's pouch. ****Plus I've seen a picture of a newborn, (really gross the first time around) and they do look a lot like fleshy little red blobs. Raz has no problem with it of course, she's a kangaroo and loves her little joey. ;) I know _nothing_ about how long the labor is, so I guessed by how small they are about fifteen minutes. So please r&r and tell me what you think! As far as the names of the cubs go; Rebel is named after the girl who does Raz's voice in the movie, Rebel Wilson. **

**Arilla is just an Australian name for a girl that I found on the internet. Dennis is after Denis Leary, the guy who plays Diego's voice. ****I know one has two n's and the other only has one, but I just think it looks better with two n's. Akuna is an Australian name for a boy I found on the internet. Hope you guys enjoyed this one! It's dedicated to all my faithful readers and people who enjoy pm-ing me on FF! Also; I know there was a story written where Diego had a son named Aaron who died as a cub, but I am in _no way_ trying to steal it. It just popped into my head so I looked up the name meaning, and it fit with the story.**

**So REVIEW!**


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